Rus in Urbe: Classical Ideals of Country and City in British Town Planning

Rus in Urbe: aZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA C la ssica l Id e a ls o f C o u n try a n d C ity in B ritish T o w n P la n n in g J O H N A R C H E R ZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA M u ch o f th e liter a r y a n d a r tistic en d ea vo r o f eigh teen th -cen tu r y Br it­ a in w a s d evo ted to a n a lysis, a p p r ecia tion , a n d u n d er sta n d in g o f tw o d is­ tin ct yet eq u a lly fu n d a m en ta l typ es o f h u m a n en vir on m en t, co u n tr y a n d city.1 Th e a ttr a ctio n th a t p eop le felt fo r b o th soon b r ed a ttem p ts to b r id ge th e d iffer en ces b etw een th em a n d to cr ea te a m a r r ia ge o f th e u r b a n w ith th e r u r a l in a d istin ct a n d h er etofor e u n a n ticip a ted typ e o f to w n p la n n in g. Th e liter a r y keyn o te fo r th is p h en om en on w a s, p er h a p s, th e p seu d o n ym a d o p ted in 173 1 b y th e ed itor o f QPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA T h e G e n t le m a n s M a g a z in e , Sylva n u s U r b a n .2 Th e fir st issu e o f th is h igh ly su ccessfu l a n d p o p u la r jou r n a l a p ­ p ea r ed a t a b o u t th e tim e m a n y p r iva te esta te ow n er s w er e tr yin g to in co r ­ p o r a te in to in d ivid u a l co u n tr y h ou se d esign s a cer ta in sop h istica tion o f style th a t, in its "u r b a n ity," w o u ld con tr a st p o in ted ly w ith th e su r r ou n d ­ in g n a tu r a l scen er y. Th e la n d sca p in g o f co u n tr y h ou ses in th e fir st h a lf o f th e cen tu r y, in d eed , w a s in cr ea sin gly r u stic a n d d elib er a tely m a d e to lo o k a s "n a tu r a l" a s p ossib le. Th e r esu ltin g co m b in a tio n — o f sop h istica ted a n d u r b a n e a r ch itectu r e w ith r u stic a n d n a tu r a l la n d sca p e — w a s a n effect sou gh t in a lter a tion s to cou n tless esta tes th r ou gh ou t Br ita in . Begin n in g in th e la tter h a lf o f th e eigh teen th cen tu r y, th ese isola ted a ttem p ts to m a r r y th e "u...